Find out why The Arboretum is such a
great place for birdwatching on one
of the Saturday Morning Birdwalks. Volunteers
guides from the Audubon Society will
help visitors to identify many migratory
and resident species of birds that enjoy
the pond and plant diversity in the
gardens. Visit
www.thearb.org
for more information.

Sept. 1-10

Early dove season

Sept. 1, Saturday

9:30 a.m.

September Dragonfly Walk (season finale!)

The Queen Creek Riparian corridor and Ayer Lake are great places to view Red Rock Skimmers, Blue-eyed Darners and various other species of these insect predators. Parents and kids can learn to identify colorful dragonfly species during a one-hour walk,which begins at 9:30 a.m. from the Visitor Center lobby. Bring binoculars! See dragonfly photos and read more online.

Sept. 1

10:30 a.m.

"Opuntia Punch" Class (How-to-Juide-a-Prickly-Pear)

"Opuntia Punch" Class. or How-to-Juice-Prickly-Pear-Cactus-Sept. 1 at 10:30 a.m. Have you ever sipped a prickly pear fruit margarita or nibbled candy made from cactus fruit? If so, you're already aware that nothing compares to the subtle flavor and outrageous magenta color of juice from the prickly pear cacti that can be harvested throughout Arizona. Our popular one-hour class is offered to visitors towards the end of each summer when prickly pear fruit ripen. Come learn how to harvest opuntia cactus fruits and extract their juice without turning your hands into a "porcupine" of painful glochids and cactus spines. Apache Junction author Jean Groen ("Foods of the Superstitions") is the cactus fruit harvest season guest at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Sept. 2

9:30 a.m.

"Sunday Bonus" Learn-Your-Lizards Guided Walk

Why do Arizona lizards do "pushups" to display their azure abdomens? On the second Saturday of each month this Summer participants can observe this unique behavior and learn why lizards have blue bellies and other Sonoran desert adaptations during the guided "Learn Your Lizards" walk. There's one special "Sunday Bonus" lizard walk tour at 9:30 a.m. September 2. Tours usually last about 90 minutes and proceed along the Main Trail. Carry binoculars for great close-up views of these engaging little reptiles, carry a water bottle and wear sunscreen and a hat.

Sept 1 & 2

4:30am-noon

4th Annual Curry Farms Private Access Dove Hunt

The 4th Annual Curry Farms Private Access Dove Hunt is planned in Yuma, Arizona for September 1 & 2, 2007 from 4:30am-noon, sponsored by Yuma's Southwest Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (SWAHPC). In Yuma, the Dove Hunting Capitol of Arizona, experience an amazing dove hunt, with ample room for hunters and a limited number of participants to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunt. SWAHPC is a 501.c.3 non-profit, so the fees associated with the hunt are tax deductible (depending on your personal tax situation). SWAHPC supports the preservation of local habitat and wildlife, through sponsoring events like this dove hunt, and other projects in the Yuma area. For more information, contact Debbie Hovatter at deltadeb@gmail.com or phone (760) 572-0250.

Sept. 4-7

2007 Arizona ATV Outlaw Trail Jamboree, Eagar

Sept. 7

General pronghorn season opens

Sept. 7-8

Game and Fish Commission meets in Pinetop

Sept. 8

8:30 a.m.

September Learn-Your-Lizards Guided Walk

Why do Arizona lizards do "pushups" to display their azure abdomens? On the second Saturday of each month this Summer participants can observe this unique behavior and learn why lizards have blue bellies and other Sonoran desert adaptations during our guided "Learn Your Lizards" walk: September 8. We also have one special "Sunday Bonus" lizard walk tour at 9:30 a.m. September 2. Tours usually last about 90 minutes and proceed along the Main Trail. Carry binoculars for great close-up views of these engaging little reptiles, carry a water bottle and wear sunscreen and a hat. To read more about this tour

Sept. 8

8:30 a.m.

"Sunday Bonus" Learn-Your-Lizards Guided Walk

Why do Arizona lizards do "pushups" to display their azure abdomens? On the second Saturday of each month this Summer participants can observe this unique behavior and learn why lizards have blue bellies and other Sonoran desert adaptations during our guided "Learn Your Lizards" walk: September 8. We also have one special "Sunday Bonus" lizard walk tour at 9:30 a.m. September 2. Tours usually last about 90 minutes and proceed along the Main Trail. Carry binoculars for great close-up views of these engaging little reptiles, carry a water bottle and wear sunscreen and a hat. To read more about this tour

Arboretum staff and volunteers will conduct a wide-ranging census identifying as many organisms as possible within a 24-hour period on Saturday, Sept. 15. Here's an opportunity to learn about Sonoran desert biodiversity while helping researchers gather baseline data on creatures at the Arboretum. Separate survey teams will concentrate on categories such as reptiles and venomous arthropods; bats, birds, lichens, odonates and butterflies; moths, ants, orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids), mammals, and native plants. To sign up as a participant with one of these particular surveys or to learn more about this event email Arboretum Instructional Assistant Jana Baldwin at jana@cals.arizona.edu, or else Education Coordinator Chris Kline at ckline@ag.arizona.edu

Sept. 14-Nov. 25

Blue grouse season

Sept. 17

Catfish stockings resume this week in the Urban Program Lakes

Sept. 22

National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Come visit the Game and Fish booth in Tucson

Sept. 22

9:30 a.m.

September Butterfly Guided Walk

Bring your binoculars for dazzling close-up looks at colorful species such as Queen, Painted Lady and Pipevine Swallowtail during this guided outing with Education Coordinator Chris Kline or Arizona State Parks volunteer naturalists. A few butterflies will be captured for kids to have close-up looks at these insects during the tour - so bring your camera, too! Meet at the Visitor Center at 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 22

7:00 a.m. til 2:00 p.m.

Bye-Bye Buzzards

One of the Arizona's signature Autumnal events is this seasonal salute to the migrant flock of Turkey Vultures at Boyce Thompson Arboretum before the huge black birds depart and fly south to spend Winter months in Mexico. Come celebrate ornithology and learn about Turkey Vultures, misunderstood scavengers that play an integral role in our Sonoran desert ecosystem. Visitors will observe the resident vultures from 7-8:30 a.m. then you can join the 8:30 a.m. birdwalk guided by Arboretum volunteers and staff. Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife rehab volunteers will have a live exhibit of birds, reptiles and small mammals from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 23

8:30 a.m.

Guided Birdwalk

The Arboretum has a species checklist of more than 270 birds which have been confirmed here over the years, and is among select sites in Arizona certified by the Audubon Society under their Important Bird Area (IBA) program. Birders of all skill levels, from novice to expert, are invited to join 8:30 a.m. Autumn guided bird-walks to learn about native bird species and their habitat. Wondering what has been reported around the gardens and trails lately? Recent bird photographs and checklist reports are on the website

* Additional events
for this month will be added as they become
available. Please check back or submit your
event from the link above.